What about the NIV?

It was. Then, it was translated into Latin, German, English, ect...

 

dcorbett: My son-in-law (the youth pastor) says that anyone who reads at the 5th grade level can use and comprehend the KJV.

That translates as, "I believe the KJVO propaganda as set forth by Riplinger w/o question".

So no more excuses, fellas.

It's the KJVOs who must be constantly inventing excuses. WE rest upon the FACTS.


Like I said, it is the Bible I grew up with, got saved through, and use in my daily life. No need of any other version. The Holy Spirit will guide you if you listen.

Same as He will anyone reading any other valid version. He is NOT limited to the KJV. If YOU'RE happy with only the KJV, fine, but there are others of us who wanna learn all we can about God's word, and to be prepared, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to evangelize any time, any place where he gives us the opportunity. Ye become more prepared by reading a variety of translations, which is profitable for the understanding of the sense of the Scriptures. Shame on ME if I don't use EVERY tool God provides me for His work.

 

When I was working with a group of third through sixth grade boys a few years ago, I used the KJV at first. None of the boys could read it and I did not have enough time to teach them how to read 17th century English as I only met with them one hour a week. However, I gave them a New Living Translation and they had no problem reading that. We were able to read the text and discuss it without retranslating it into modern English.

And the Bible I grew up with was an NIV. It was the second Bible I was given in church (a baptist one). The first was a RSV from a Lutheran church, but I used the NIV a lot more. I have since changed preference for a more literal translation, so I use the KJV, NKJV, NASB, and ESV the most. I use the KJV over 90% of the time. Yet I still see value in reading more than one translation.

 

Dynamic Equivalence translations like the NIV are, by definition, very interpretive and unsuitable for laymen. The NIV has a strong bias toward Reformed Theology and that, of course, makes it a dangerous translation to use unless one has a solid education in comparative theology. The NASB is a substantially more accurate translation, and the ESV and RSV are also much more accurate and reliable than the NIV. The NKJ is also a very accurate translation, but it is based on a very questionable text-type. The NAB with the second edition of the New Testament is also a very accurate translation, but it does reflect a bias toward Roman Catholicism.

 

The NIV has a strong bias toward Reformed Theology and that, of course, makes it a dangerous translation to use unless one has a solid education in comparative theology.

Hmmm. I'm beginning to like the NIV more and more.

 

Ransom,

If you want a translation that interprets for you all the ambiguous verses in the Bible from a neo-modernist Calvinistic point of view rather than one that objectively translates the text, the NIV is indeed the translation for you. Have fun now but be sure to repent before you die.